The JAMB cut-off mark is the minimum score a candidate must achieve in the UTME to be eligible for admission consideration into a Nigerian tertiary institution.
There are two types of cut-off marks every candidate should understand.
The first is the general cut-off mark, set by JAMB at its national policy meeting.
The second is the departmental cut-off mark, set individually by each institution for specific courses.
The general JAMB cut-off mark for 2027 is expected to be 140 for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education.
However, scoring the general cut-off does not guarantee admission. It simply makes a candidate eligible for consideration.
Most universities, especially federal and state institutions, set much higher departmental cut-off marks for competitive courses.
Your target score should be based on the departmental cut-off for your desired course, not the general cut-off.
For instance, a candidate hoping to study Medicine at a federal university should aim for 250 and above, even though the general cut-off is only 140.
Below is a breakdown of typical departmental cut-off marks by course:
- Medicine & Surgery: 250 to 280+ (Federal), 220 to 250 (State)
- Law: 240 to 270+ (Federal), 200 to 240 (State)
- Pharmacy: 220 to 260 (Federal), 200 to 230 (State)
- Nursing: 220 to 260 (Federal), 200 to 230 (State)
- Engineering: 200 to 250 (Federal), 180 to 220 (State)
- Computer Science: 180 to 220 (Federal), 160 to 200 (State)
- Accounting: 180 to 220 (Federal), 160 to 200 (State)
- Mass Communication: 180 to 220 (Federal), 160 to 200 (State)
- Business Administration: 200 to 220+
- Sciences: 200 to 220+
- Social Sciences: 180 to 200+
- Arts and Humanities: 180 to 200+
- Education: 170 to 190+
These figures are approximate ranges based on recent years, and actual cut-off marks vary by institution and year.
Candidates are advised not to aim for the minimum cut-off alone, as this leaves little room for error in a highly competitive admission process.
A safer strategy is to target at least 250 and above for competitive courses such as Medicine and Law, 220 and above for moderately competitive courses, and 200 and above for less competitive ones.
This gives candidates a comfortable margin and significantly increases their chances of admission.
When making institution choices, candidates are also encouraged to use their four available choices strategically. This could mean a dream institution as the first choice, a realistic option as the second, a safer option as the third, and a near-guaranteed option as the fourth.
Private universities and polytechnics also offer quality education with less competition, and candidates should not limit themselves unnecessarily to the most competitive options.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
